UFC Betting – Short List Of Championship Contenders
Wednesday July 18 2012 : UFC Betting – Short List Of Championship Contenders The Next Major Issue For UFC To Address
It was the rematch that no Mixed Martial Arts fan or online betting fans could resist. The skill, the animosity, the trash talk, and most importantly the championship belt that had all been laid down ahead of UFC 148 made the title fight between UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva and No. 1 contender Chael Sonnen the most highly anticipated fight of 2012. However, when it came to what actually took place in the Octagon, the end result was anti-climactic. Sonnen came out flying in the first round, looking every bit as dominant in he did until leaving himself vulnerable for submission in the final round of the first meeting between these fighters.
However, after leaving no question about who won the opening round, Sonnen once again was caught being overaggressive and after missing on a spinning elbow found himself on the mat, taking blow after blow from Silva until he was eventually knocked out. For as much excitement as there was in the weeks leading up to UFC 148, there was more questions than answers when it was all over. Silva had defended his title for a UFC record tenth straight time, and the Middleweight division isn’t the only group that seems completely void of worthy championship contenders according to the best sports betting sites.
After all, UFC Welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre defended his title on six-straight occasions before suffering an ACL injury that has sidelined him since December of last year. UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones defended his title three times within a span of six months, ending all but one of those defenses before the final bell, and he is only 24-years old. UFC Featherweight champion Jose Aldo brought his title over from the WEC and has won three-straight title defenses in the UFC, and the new UFC Bantamweight title belongs to another potential dominant champion in Dominick Cruz, who already has defended his belt twice. The lack of capable fighters to compete with these champions has left UFC President Dana White with his next most pressing issue in the company, which is finding new talent and developing it to the point where there are legitimate threats to this long list of champions.
One sportsbook option that would add some intrigue to the UFC championship situation is a battle of titleholders, with a potential matchup between Silva and Jones gaining more attention of late after a fight between Silva and St. Pierre was rumored the past couple of years. However, Silva has already shot down a potential matchup with Jones, and a battle with St. Pierre doesn’t seem likely after it was ignored for so long. Former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Rashad Evans has said he wants to cut weight to challenge Silva for his title at 185, but beyond that there really aren’t many legitimate contenders for any of the top champions. Dan Henderson will get the next shot at Jones, which he should lose, and when St. Pierre gets back he will likely fight interim champion Carlos Condit in another bout that will likely end in the champion’s favor. The UFC needs to find some opponents worthy of contending for a title, and the time is ticking on this pressing issue for White and his staff.
